Organic field-effect transistors based on a crosslinkable polymer blend as the semiconducting layer

Abstract

For fabrication of top-gate polymer-based organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), it is essential that the semiconducting layer remain intact during spin coating of the overlying dielectric layer. This requirement severely limits the applicable solvent and materials combinations. We show here that a crosslinkable polymer blend consisting of a p-type semiconducting polymer {e.g., TFB; poly[9,9-dioctyl-fluorene-co-N-(4-butylphenyl)-diphenylamine]} and an electroactive crosslinkable silyl reagent {e.g., TPDSi2; 4,4′-bis[(p-trichloro-silylpropylphenyl)phenylamino]biphenyl} is effective as the semiconducting layer in a top-gate bottom-contact OFET device. The TFB+TPDSi2 semiconducting blend is prepared by spin-coating in ambient. The crosslinking process occurs during spin-coating in air and is completed by curing at 90 °C, which renders the resulting film insoluble in common organic solvents and allows subsequent deposition of dielectric layers from a wide range of organic solvents. We also show that the presence of TPDSi2 in the semiconductor layer significantly reduces typical TFB-source-drain threshold voltages in bottom-contact devices, likely due to favorable interfacial TPDSi2-gold electrode interactions.